APTA: Ways and Means transit posture hurtful

The American Public Transportation Association said Tuesday it will hold a media conference call Wednesday to brief callers on the “negative impact” the House Ways and Means Committees’ surface transportation proposal holds for public transit.

“Late last week, the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee voted to divert $25 billion in dedicated fuels tax revenues from the Mass Transit Account, undermining 30 years of bipartisanship for a national multi-modal transportation system,” APTA said in a statement.

“In response, a broad coalition of leaders joined together to call on Congress to reject this short-sighted proposal. These funding provisions will impact the millions of Americans who rely on public transit systems to get to work, to school, or to the doctor. “Private sector jobs will also be lost and public transit systems will be constrained without a long-term dedicated funding source,” APTA continued.

APTA says its conference on Wednesday “will also release new information that discusses the negative impact the House Ways and Means Committee proposal could have on bonding and building multi-year projects.” APTA President Michael Melaniphy will address callers during the event, as will DART President and CEO Gary Thomas, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, and Janet Kavinosky, executive director of transportation and infrastructure for the U.S> Chamber of Commerce, among others.

The conference begins at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time Wednesday; those interested may register by contacting Nick Fabiani, Tel.: 202-778-1300; Email: nfabiani@apcoworldwide.com. Dial-in information will be sent upon RSVP.